I'm Still Here
by Chiyoku
Summary: Merlin is still here, wandering the lands while waiting for the return of the Once and Future King. He's rootless and alone, and this is his short story of being left alone by his loved ones, centuries out in the future.


The King died on that fateful day at Avalon by the hands of Mordred, just like he was destined to. Camelot lost a King, Guinevere lost a husband, and to me, and many others, we lost a friend. When Arthur died Gwen was put on the throne in his place and ruled the Kingdom of Camelot, just like he wished, and nine months later gave birth to a healthy young prince, who was named after his father. He grew up to become just like him, however rather clumsy, and that says some when it comes from me. I don't complain however, he was a lovely child, and a good king. He continued what his mother had continued before him, and his father before him. Magic was still outlawed, even after Guinevere became queen, but she made sure that my kind wasn't hunted like animals anymore; we were free to live and free to be who we were, as long as it did not cause intentional harm. The world had become a peaceful place for us to live, but being the sorcerer that I am, and still had to completely fulfill my destiny, I had yet to wander the Earth for many years to come.

I saw Gaius' death four years after the Battle of Avalon, and after him I witnessed the death of my mother, then my friends among the Knights, followed by the Queen, and following her came so many other who I was close to and had befriended. Everyone I knew withered around me, passed away and disappeared out of the minds of others, written off as nothing more than names in books - a small part of history. Everything I did with my friends and loved ones became nothing more than stories and legends, told to children as bedtime stories, and put aside in books of folklores.

Magic did not survive many centuries after peace came upon the United Kingdoms; after the Great Purge caused by Uther, magic had taken a hard toll, and many species were distinguished, some sooner than others. The dragons are now completely extinct, neither Kilgharrah nor Aithusa are wandering the Earth anymore. It's probably for the best, as the world has changed, whether it has been for the better or the worse, I cannot say. It's just so different now, and inventions which I had never thought possible when I was still a servant to Arthur, has seen the dawn of a new tomorrow and changed the world upside down. I guess that is why magic didn't last much longer than it did. There haven't been sightings of any magical beings the last two hundred years. I don't know whether I should be worried or no, the world has become a dangerous place for them. If humans sees them today they would be test subjects and undergo horrifying experiments. I've witnessed it first hand, and it was horrible.

As time passed even the druids lost their ways and forgot about their gifts as the centuries went by it was forgotten put aside along with their knowledge of the Old Religion. Fewer and fewer warlocks and sorcerers are born, in pace with technology became a bigger and bigger part of the daily life, and more and more information and knowledge of the Old Ways were lost as time went by. They are still born, but with no knowledge of the Old Ways, and no one to help them and guide them, their powers whiter and become almost of none importance, but they will never completely disappear. They're out there, seeing the magic that yet has remained in the world, doing things they cannot explain, using their powers as street magicians for a handful of money, or using them as a fortune teller at a carnival. It's saddening to watch how magic has been forgotten and degraded to nothing more than bringing forth a puzzled look on the audience's faces, and critic about it all being an illusion. But of course those who has the gift cannot explain how they do it, and just goes with the flow, says yes to it being an illusion in order not to be seen as a freak or whatever these modern humans calls them. But at least you don't get burned on a stack any longer for showing a bit of magic in public.

Some, a very few people with the gift, gets to evolve their talents and gets them up to that of a young sorcerer, who just began their training back in my days. To do that in this era, without any mentor is impressive. One of those who has been lucky enough to get this far, has chosen to call himself _Dynamo. _He's one of the best, and he has huge potential, however with the present being like it is and with the now nonexistent knowledge of the Old Religion, you can only hope for him to be able to evolve them any further. However, knowing that magic is a rare gift, even rarer than it was during my time, I'm just glad that it's still here.

And me? I'm still wandering the Earth, being a rootless human who wanders from place to place, none existent to other beings. I'm on my own, all my friends are long gone, their bones crumbled to dust in the time passing. I'm a Dragonlord without a dragon to master, a servant without a master to serve, a friend with no friends and a legend amongst folklores. I'm wandering, waiting for the return of the Once and Future King, my old friend. I'm waiting while the world changes around me, until he will return so I can serve him once more, and he once again can rule the Kingdom, like the great king he was in the medieval times. Arthur will come, and once he does I will be ready to be by his side. I just hope the time comes soon. I'm patient, trust me when I say that, but having been alive for hundreds of years are tiring both for body and mind. Sometimes I'd just wish I could get to sleep the eternal sleep, and see my loved ones again, but I still have a destiny to fulfill for the both of us, a King to serve and a friend to meet. So therefore, no matter how long it will take, I will be waiting. I'll wander the lands, see the magic disappear from the world, see how the world changes before my eyes, and just exist until the time comes for me to be reunited with my King and best friend.

Because that's what I'm fated to do.

* * *

**Okay, after watching the last episode of Merlin and cried my eyes out, I just had to write this, because honestly, I couldn't help it, and therefore I don't know whether it's good or not, but it just kept repeating itself in my head, so there you go. **

**It's not good, but it's something.**


End file.
